How to roll back Windows 10 Mobile from Fast and Slow Ring to Production release

Microsoft is deep into developing the Anniversary Update for Windows 10 and Windows 10 Mobile. The Anniversary Update is known internally as Redstone 1 (Redstone 2 is due early next year) and many Insiders on PC and Mobile are already using the preview OS on their daily devices.

Today, we'll walk you through on how to roll back your phone from Redstone (from Fast or Slow Ring) to the more stable production release. While not a hard process you will need some time, a USB cable and a PC.

Should you use Redstone on your primary Windows Phone?

At this time, it is hard to recommend Fast or Slow Ring Redstone builds (14295+) over the production build (10586.218 as of today) if you are looking for a smooth, bug-free experience. Redstone is in the early stages and is more akin to running Windows 10 Mobile last July than necessarily a mature operating system.

Personally, I keep Redstone on a secondary device for testing while for my Lumia 950 I prefer Production. Windows 10 Mobile build 10586.168 and 10586.218 have been fantastic to use and if you just want the best mobile experience you should go with that.

If, however, you want new features then go with Redstone. Just understand that Microsoft is refactoring the OS as the Mobile and PC versions begin to overlap heavily in features and functions. Current Insider builds will likely sharpen up closer to June at which point you may want to consider jumping back into the mix.

Let's say you are on Windows 10 Mobile build 14295 (or later) and want to go back to Production (10586) – How do you do it?

Can you just switch Insider Rings?

If you launch the Windows Insider app on your phone and choose a different Ring e.g. Production instead of Fast or Slow, you will stop getting Insider builds. However, this will not revert your OS to an earlier version.

Currently, if you are a higher build of the OS the only way to go back is to use the Windows Device Recovery Tool (WDRT).

This will wipe your phone! Back it up

Before we begin let's be very clear: this process will erase your phone and install the old OS (and maybe some firmware if not yet distributed over-the-air).

You will lose all data on the phone (SD cards are untouched).

Remember to copy any files to your PC or storage card on the phone (if supported) and to use Windows Phone Backup (Settings > Update & security > Backup > More options > Back up now).

What you need to start

Before we begin let's see what you will need for this rollback process:

Once you have downloaded and installed Windows Device Recovery Tool, you are all set to start the rollback process.

How to roll back

You should allocate around 30 minutes for the restore process.

Launch & Connect

Launch the recovery tool and connect your phone using a USB cable. If your handset isn't detected, click My phone was not detected to force the application to rescan for and detect the phone or choose from the list of manufacturers e.g. BLU.

Verify phone

On the next screen, click your phone, wait a few seconds, and you'll see your phone information and the software available for download to roll back to a previous operating system. To continue, click Reinstall software.

Reminder: Back up!

Next, the recovery tool will warn you to backup all your data, settings, and apps before proceeding further, as the rolling back process will delete all the previous data on your phone. Click Continue to move forward.

Survey

Take the optional survey on why you are rolling back your OS

Download & Install

Now, the recovery tool will download the image from Microsoft's servers and replace Windows 10 Mobile that is currently on your phone. The process will take some time depending on your internet connection and the hardware in question.

For a Lumia 950 XL, the download package is 2.76GB for reference.

Note: Phones sold with Windows Phone 8.1 who upgraded to Windows 10 Mobile will revert to Windows Phone 8.1. They will then need to upgrade to Windows 10 Mobile again. Phones sold with Windows 10 Mobile pre-installed e.g. Lumia 550, 650, 950, 950 XL and other phones like Moly X1 will go back to the production release of Windows 10 Mobile.

After the tool completes the process, you will receive a message saying "Operation successfully completed." At this point, the phone will reboot, and you will have to go through the Out-of-Box-Experience (OOBE), like on any version of Windows. Then, you'll need to sign-in with your Microsoft account, select to restore your phone from backup (if this is something you prefer), and after a few additional questions, you'll be back to an earlier version of Windows.

Check for updates!

In some cases, your phone will roll back to a build of Windows 10 Mobile that is too early. For example, my Lumia 950 XL went back to build 10586.107 even though 10586.218 is the latest release. No worries, just run Phone update on the device to grab the latest version: Settings > Update & security > Phone update > Check for updates

If you check for updates and there is nothing new then you are on the latest release.

Restore from backup?

One interesting question we get a lot is should you restore from a backup during the Out-of-Box-Experience (OOBE)?

Yes, it should be fine as that is what it is designed to do. Remember, however, that you are now adding an extra layer of complexity to the situation meaning another area where things may not go right. There is no risk of damaging your device, but some users have claimed that doing a clean install and just manually rebuilding your phone and software is a better choice.

Personally, I'm agnostic on this issue, but I do not restore from backup as the majority of my things are on the SD card (e.g. music, photos, documents) or in the cloud (OneDrive). I also like starting fresh as I tend to reconsider app choices, layout, etc.

However, if you have game saves etc. that you need you may want to think out your options.

I should mention that restoring also takes much longer as your phone will then re-download all your apps and games and install them while merging saved data. If you have 100+ apps and games on your phone, this could take some considerable time depending on your internet connection so set aside a good 30-60 minutes (once again, it will vary on the number of apps and phone's processor) along with an AC plug for your phone to keep it charged.

Remember, if you have more questions about this process you can always hop into our vast user forums where there are tons of user experiences around this issue along with various tips and more!

Please Bookmark & Share! If you see someone asking about how they can roll back their phone's OS to a more stable build please share this article! It will save them a lot of time!

Reader comments

How to roll back Windows 10 Mobile from Fast and Slow Ring to Production release

How to switch to slow ring from fast ring? Does this also needs to revert to windows phone 8.1 using WDRT and then choose slow ring on windows insider app. Or it can be done simply by selecting 'Slow ring' in windows insider app?

ok, so i was on the latest insider preview build which i thought was not for me.rolled back using wdrt to8.1. now when i check for the latest update it says i am on it but ive checked and its still on 8.1. strange

thanks for the info, I successfully downgraded to Windows 8.1 from Win10 on a Lumia 640, though the SMS messages are yet to restored. I think that part (of restoring SMS messages of our mobile carrier is still a bit buggy !)

What I don't get is how there are bugs that have been fixed in 10586 that are still in the latest insider 14322 (and not even in the "known issues" list?)

I'm primarily talking about Band 2 and Cortana not working. People who have "upgraded" to 10586 report it now works. I just "upgraded" to 14322 and it still doesn't work. I thought the Insider ring was where they tested fixes before putting them in production??

I've had a Lumia 830 since it was a new phone, just as a "fun" phone. I guess I'm out of the loop, but what is going on with windows phone? It's been a year since this windows 10 mobile preview has been available, but windows 8 is still the standard on my device. Why is this? Is Microsoft trying to perfect the OS? I have android as a primary device and I honestly like windows 10 layout better. Here in Canada people don't even know windows phone has ever even existed. It's sad really.

I know, in Canada I know more people with Blackberry's than Windows Phones lol. I think it's something to do with carriers? Last time I checked there wasn't a single Windows Phone available to buy om Rogers. So I doubt they'll push out updates. I have Windows 10 Mobile through the Insider program.

It just fails for me. After "turning your screen to flashing mode" I get a error message saying "something happend". I've tried two different computers, different usb-ports and cables. Guess Im stuck on this buggy Redstone.

THANK YOU Daniel-san
This led to much confusion for me the other day when the new build came out. I originally got in the preview platform to test new features, and because (I thought) im tech savvy and can deal with most problems. Back in the blackberry days with leaked builds, I enjoyed troubleshooting. But I have less time now to devote to this. And the builds that come bow always bring some new build instead of a new feature for me to play with/provide feedback on. This walkthrough is perfect for folks like me who are tired of being a beta tester and just want a phone that WORKS!

I've seen folks in the forums complaining that SMS restore doesn't happen on Threshold (10586) or on Redstone (14295) builds at this time. I've experienced this problem myself.

For those reading this article and have recently (in the last week or so) rolled back via WDRT for any reason: Have you seen any (or, preferably, ALL) of your text messages being restored? Twitter pings to Gabe and Jason were left without response (those guys are busy so I'm sure that tweets get missed) and there are Feedback Hub entires with 100+ upvotes so I'm surprised that there isn't more discussion/investigation around this.

To be clear: Do I think that this is a "big deal"? For me, it really isn't. I dislike the loss of my historical text messages but can live with it. For other folks, this is not the case. That's why I'm curious.

(EDIT: It's also worth noting that SMS backup is separate from the Backup function that the OS uses for apps and data stored on your device.)

I did this about a week ago as I was having so many issues with 14295 on my Lumia 950. Issues were so bad I almost ent back to myAndroid phone....but I like WP10M so much more. Being back on stable 10586 was a relief and no issues since. In fact I don't even recall what I had on 14295 because 10586 is doing everything I want....and reliably.

Is there any other way (other than WDRT) to get around 14295 if I haven't installed it yet? I'm in a similar situation as kr33m0. L640, slow ring, currently on 10586 and would like to keep it that way. I know, I should have dropped down to production ring a few weeks ago. I have the prompt that the 14295 update is ready and to schedule a restart. Insider will not allow me to move to the production ring at this point because of the pending 14295 update. I pushed the restart time out to Saturday, but that's as far as I can go. Any help would be greatly appreciated.

When you hard reset, the Windows Inside app does not get installed unless you also restore from backup in the process. Even then the App would be in an inactive state. You have to launch the app and choose what ring you want to be in....

Worked like a charm. Backed up to One Drive, Reset, Restored from One Drive. The L640 stayed on .164. Went to Insider and chose Production ring. Checked for an update and no more 14295 prompt. Instead, .218 was ready. Thank you!!!

Ok. So here is my issue. I'm currently on .168 and have been prompted to dl 14295 (on fast ring). I cannot update due to storage issues and i don't want to either, but I cannot get rid of being prompted to update. Tried switching to slow/production, but it says I cannot since i have an update waiting. I've also uninstalled windows insider to no avail. Do I need to refresh to get rid of the update prompt and go to the .218 build?

Did this with my Lumia 640. Had a few problems. First, the rollback to 8.1 sent ok. However, when I tried to update back to 10, I used Update Advisor and was told that my phone was not eligible. So I used insider to install.107, and upgraded to .164 on the slow ring. After that, I used Insider to set my phone to Production. However, I did not have neither Wi-fi m nor Hotspot capabilities. I sent into the SIM settings and saw that the APN was set to default. I added the T-mobile information and all was well. Performed the most recent update without any issues.

My 640 went to .107 when upgraded from 8.1 as well... I just wish it would have given the OS version when I upgraded from 8.1 ... I mean as long as you have to do a hard reset after 8.1 -> 10 you may as well do it AFTER you get to .218 fwiw...

In my case it seems to be ok.. Looks like Cortana via Bluetooth is still in disarray.... :( Shame cause it worked pretty well on 8.1..... ahem...

I just did this whole process a few days ago on my new 950. All the app crashes and a few random reboots were driving me crazy. Back to the official release (plus yesterday's update), and things are working smoothly.

Anytime I've done a clean install the phone doesn't recognize the apps that are stored on the microSD card. It shows that space is being used but doesn't display any content on the card. Is this normal or is there a step that I'm missing?

That ruins the main reason I have the microSD. There are games that don't backup their data, and I would like to continue where I left off after the reinstall. Digfender is a great game, but I always have to start over. I'm considering doing a clean install again. I guess I could contact hte developer to see if there is anything I can do. I doubt it, but it's worth a try.

I generally have a very good understanding abount WP and how things work but a couple questions still remain, and would like to resolve them before i do my HR this Friday.

Since I will revert to 8.1 on my L930, and then restore from backup, should i first let all the apps update completely, then check for win 10 upgrade, and check for a newer win 10 update again? Or how does it work exacly? Among the processes i just mentioned, where does the Factory reset come in? Also, should i restore from backup after the factory reset? So there is no point in doing restore from backup untill the latest, final update, correct? Unless factory reset doesn't give you an option to restore after? I'm sorry but really confused right now...

No, turn the auto update off. Upgrade to Win10m without restore and then let the phone update your apps. If after update the OS does not run smooth you can reset and apply the restore. I found this to be the smoothest process.

If you have Apps on the MicroSD card, when you roll back and want to access the card a message says "You have apps from another phone on the microSD card which prevents access. In order to install new apps to the card, these other apps need to be deleted!" So you end up reformatting your microSD card to make it reusable!

Nope. The phone just erases your previous apps and that's pretty much it. Everything else in your SD stays. Basically, everything that is visible to you in the file system will be left unharmed. Even the Mapdata folder. I have done this enough times to be sure about it.

My Samsung Ativ Se work terrible with a RedStone, just a question, This procedure also includes for Samsung Ativ Se, we modified to have Windows 10 with the tutorial right here in the central windows forum?

1. Disconnect your phone.
2. Open WDRT and click on "My device was not detected"
3. Switch off your phone.
4. Select Lumia from the options shown in WDRT.
5. Plug your phone in (Do not switch it on)

The phone will turn on by itself, and by the time the thing boots up, WDRT will hopefully detect, connect and check for your firmware on the servers.
This worked on 620, 625, 820, 730 and 640XL. Try it - Its basically zero risk, WDRT won't do anything to the device without your permission, and only after the whole firmware is downloaded.

This seemed to do the trick, although the phone stayed on the Nokia screen until I selected to proceed in the Windows Recovery Tool. It never listed which Lumia was connected, more of just a generic install. Will see what happens, but at least something is happening, ha. Thanks.

Its not a generic install. WDRT detected the phone model correctly, or else, it cannot compare your firmware with that available on the server. This is the correct course of events as far as this method is concerned. There is one other method - manually downloading the firmware and installing using command line. Its not safe for starters though.

Scratch that. Still ended in failure. I had just done a hard restart yesterday, which didn't totally fix the camera issues. Currently my videos and photos become corrupted. May have to give up for now.

Not really sure, but technically does not matter. Release Preview equals Production at this time for all Windows 10 Mobile devices and 8.1 upgrade phones. It'll likely come back if there is a difference again.

Well, recovery files can be 2+ GB, so you do the math. Regarding can it get bricked? Sure, if you pull the USB cable while flashing or your PC/phone lose power (hence why I mention charging). Otherwise, the process has a very low failure rate and is considered safe.

Thanks. I mentioned about my internet speed because lot of people out there has said that u need to have a fast internet connection. However, my internet speed is just 2mbps but its stable and does not lose connection once connected. Anyways, Will download the upcoming build which is due this week and test the device. If everything goes well then will hold on or else will roll back to a more stable build.

Don't worry I had done it on my 512kbps connection, took me two days though. WDRT can resume downloads so you can download it in parts, WDRT will flash your phone only after download is 100% complete. Once download starts you can disconnect USB cable, but you should not disconnect once the flashing begins.

There is another way to download firmware, once the download starts, you can fetch links using Fiddler and continue downloading using IDM or any download manager, this is bit cumbersome if you are not familiar with it.

Arjun is right, just wanted to confirm what he said, its very convenient that WDRT would only flash once the download is complete %100, you can even take the phone off once its starts downloading, did that myself, and once done %100 downloading you can connect the phone and flash it, if interupted the download resumes from where it was iterupted.

Just to confirm, once I complete the process of getting back to 164 or 218, what "Ring" do I click within Windows Insider to make sure I don't end up going up to 14295?? I really don't want to go back there!! Thanks for the guide and help.